Generatoe foe acetylene gas



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1f RJKUHN. GENERATOR'FOR AQETYLENEGAS.

No. 600,727. Patented Mar. 15,1898

farl/vengfor (N0 Mbdel.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

R. KUHN. GENERATOR FOR AC'ETYLENE GAS.

Patented Mar. 15. 1898.

| a, lllllllllll'llll 1 fllnrrnp; STATES RUDOLF KllHN, OF RORSOHACH,SWITZERLAND.

GEN ERATO R FoR AcETY LENE GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,727, dated March15, 1898.

Application filed July-10, 1896. Serial K015981632. (N model.) Patentedin AustrialVlarch 30,1896, No. 4'7/l,119; in Switzerland April 27,1896,No. 12,163; in France May 2, 1896,11'0. 256,059; in Germany May2,1896, October 26,1896,1 l0.124,191,a11dinItalyNov'emberZt,1896,1l0.42,912.

-Lo a whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, RUDOLF KUHN, a citizen f the Republic of Switzerland,and a resient of Rorschach, SWitzerland,have invented a certain new anduseful Generator for Acety- 1 lene Gas, (which has been patented in thefollowing countries,viz: Switzerland,No. 12,163, dated April 27, 1806;Austria, Act. N o. 4:7/l,119, dated March 30,1896; France, No. 256,059,dated May 2, 1896; Belgium, No. 124,191, dated October 26, 1896; Italy,R. G. 42,912, dated November 26, 1896, and Germany, No. 94,738, datedMay 2, 1896, of which the following is a specification.

In the acetylene-gas apparatus heretofore in use, as well as in theapparatus for generating the ordinaryilluminating-gas, gas-holders ofvariable. volume were used, such as the gasometer drums and the like, inwhich the pressure of the gas being generated is held constant by thegradual displacement of the water in the storage-cylinder, caused by thegradually-inflowing quantities of gas, so that the size of the drum isincreased. This arran gement is too cumbersome to be employed for thestorage of acetylene gas, and my improved apparatus contains, therefore,a storage cylinder or receiver of constant volume, which is connectedwith a generator in such a manner that the charging of the receiver withacetylene gas is effected by the gradu- Llly-increasing pressure of thegenerated gas. The gas can therefore be stored up in the receiver at anydesired pressure, so that in any comparatively small receiver largequantities of gas can be stored, and as the large and cumbersome storageapparatus are dispensed with a much smaller and simpler receiver foracetylene gas is obtained. For this reason my improved acetylene-gasgenerating and storing apparatus is especially adapted for stationaryilluminating plants, especially when it is considered that theilluminating power of acetylene gas is five times that of the compressedoil-gas. My apparatus is therefore designed to be used in'place of theoil-gas plants for supplying railway-cars with compressed gas aswell asfor supplying gas for lighthouses, light-ships, buoys, 850. Besides, thegreater illuminating power of acety- No. 94,738; in Belgium lene gas ascompared to oil-gas the oil-gas plants required complicated apparatusfor generating the gas, which has then to be compressed by means ofpumps into the receivers up to a pressure of six atmospheres. Theerecting and working of these oil-gas plants were always connected witha number of complications and objections, while in my improved apparatusthe acetylene gas generated from the mixture of calcium carbid and wateris discharged under its own pressure of several atmospheres into thereceiver and is gradually compressed by the continuous generation and'supplyof gas, so that by the simple construction and functioning of theapparatus hardly any supervision and attention, excepting the chargingof the materials, are required.

In the accompanying drawings, Figurelis a vertical central section of myimproved generator. Fig. 2 is a similar view taken at right angles toFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top View of the generator. Fig. 4 is a top Viewsimilar to Fig. 3, some of the parts mounted on the head being removed.Fig. 5 is a central.

vertical section of a modified form of generator. Fig. 6 is a top Viewthereof. Figs. 7 and 8 are vertical sections through the head of thegenerator respectively at right angles to each other..

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the generator constructed inaccordance with my invention. The generator A is formed of a hollowseamless cylinder J, which is closed at the lower end and which isprovided with a head K, provided with a stopcock, as well as otheraccessories, such as a pressure-gage, dtc. At the interior of thecylinder J is arranged a cylindrical basket D, formed of wiregauze,which is charged with calcium carbid and which is provided at its bottomwith a pin E, so that the basket D can be supported at some distancefrom the bottom of the cylinder J, so that the lime cement, which isformed by the decomposition of the calcium carbid, cannot settle on thelatter and retard thereby the gas-generating process. In the head K,which is hermetically connected. by

its frusto-conical neck with the corresponding neck of the cylinder J,are arranged the stopcock L, an outlet-tube F, to which the pipe whichleads to a receiver is attached, a pressure-gage G, and a relief-valve Hfor the surplus pressure.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4 the head K is attached to thecylinder J by means of a pivoted yoke O and a screw P,

passing through the yoke and operated by a hand-crank at its upper end.The body L of the vertically-arranged stop-cock L is provided at itslower end with a hook-shaped latch or lug M, which when the stop-cock Lis closed, as in Fig. 3, engages the bail m of the basket D, containingthe calcium carbid, so as to support the basket. When the stopcock L isplaced in open position, as shown in Fig. 4, the basket is dropped intothe water in the cylinder J by the disengagement of the latch M from thebail. It is therefore necessary that the cylinderJ be partly filled withwater up to the bottom of the basket containing the calcium carbid,after which the bail m is placed on the latch M and the head K placed onthe upper end of the cylinder J and then firmly secured by the screw P.When the tight connection of the head with the cylinder is obtained, thestop-cock L is turned and opened, by which motion the basket isautomatically detached from the latch M and dropped into the water inthe generator.

In the construction shown in Figs. 5. to 8 the stop-cock is arranged ina horizontal position and the body L of the same provided at its innerend with an eccen trio-pin .2, which is connected by a rod S with afulcrumed latch M in such a manner that when the stop-cock is closed, asshown in Fig. 5, the latch M engages the bail m of the basket D, whilewhen the stop-cock is opened, as

shown in Fig. 7, the basket is dropped into the water at the lower partof the generator, so that the generation of the acetylene gas takesplace.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and wish to secure byLetters Patent 1. In a generator for acetylene gas, the combination ofa'cylinder, a tightly-fitting head on the same, provided with astop-cock, a basket for the calcium carbid, in said cylinder, and meansfor suspending said basket from the head and dropping the same into thewater in the cylinder when the stop-cock is opened, substantially as setforth.

2. In a generator for acetylene gas, the combination of a cylinder, atightly-closing head on the same, a basket for the calcium carbid,provided with a bail at its upper end, means for suspending said basketabove the water in the cylinder, while the stop-cock is closed, andmeans for releasing said basket when the stop-cock is opened so that thebasket is lowered into the water, substantially as set forth.

3. In a generator foracetylene gas, the combination with a cylinder, atightly-fitting head on the same, means for attaching said head to theneck of the cylinder, a stop-cock in said head, a screen-basket in saidcylinder provided with a pivoted bail at its upper end, means connectedwith the stop-cock for suspending the basket when the stop-cock is inclosed position and for dropping the basket in the water in the cylinderwhen the stopcock is open, substantially as,set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto sign my name, in thepresence of twosubscribing Witnesses, this 13th day of May, 1896. n

RUDOLF KUHN.

Witnesses:

MoRITz VEITH, II. LABHART.

